London 2026

Our last event was our most successful conference yet. The theme was “New Blood” – getting new faces into financial planning and helping ensure the long-term viability of a profession we all agree is a powerful force for good.

We took over the Glasgow Science Centre and its amazing IMAX screen and ran what we think was the biggest financial planning conference ever in Scotland. Our audience was a unique mix of planners, the industry and (most importantly) well over 100 students, school-age pupils and career-changers who came along to hear if planning might be for them.

During a packed day we achieved another first with our Financial Planning Live session. Two of Scotland’s most progressive planners met a client and had no idea in advance what that client had in store for them. From that standing start our intrepid duo needed to do discovery, goal setting, cashflow, and more.

The client was a professional actor, briefed in advance on three personas; the audience voted for which one they should adopt, and the whole thing was an improvisation from start to finish.

It was a revelation; incredibly hard work for the planners but amazing for the audience, especially for those who didn’t really know what happens in a planning meeting.

The best bit? As well as having a brilliant day, we’re already seeing connections being made, job discussions happening and maybe some new planners of the future starting their career journey in financial services. Going into the day, almost no-one rated planning as a career. At the end of it, nearly 80% said it looked “very attractive”. That’s the kind of progress we’re about.

Now it’s time for us to bring the same concept to London. Here’s what’s in store:

SOME BASICS FIRST

We’re back in the beautiful Kings Place venue just next to Kings Cross and Coal Drops Yard.

Just like in Glasgow, we’re planning to split the audience into three. One third will be planners, one third will be the industry, but most excitingly a third will be young people, educators and career changers. We want students and other young people to come along, learn about what planning is and see what an interesting and vibrant sector we have. To do that we need to make our day interesting and vibrant. So, the agenda will reflect the audience. We’re partnering with various colleges and universities to make sure we engage everyone. We want to show the best of the profession – but we also want to hear from the planners of the future themselves, about what we can do better to attract them.

One of the most exciting developments of the last few years is the advent of academies and structured programmes to get new blood into the sector. We’ll have as many of them on hand as we can. Who knows, maybe there might be a spot of matchmaking done.

As you’d expect, we’ll hear from progressive, interesting voices throughout the day.

The main conference will start after lunch and run through to the early evening. In addition, we’ll launch the lang cat’s annual study of the advice profession – State of the Advice Nation – in the morning, this time with a special focus on New Blood and the future of the industry.

Our main agenda will be in Hall One, including Financial Planning: Live with new planners, new scenarios and a new “client”. We’ll have guest speakers from inside and outside the industry, sessions on what the sector can do to make itself more attractive from educators and those who have walked the walk, and an entertainment slot at the end of the day from two up and coming comedians.

During the day, we’ll split the audience, and those who are our potential new blood will move into Hall Two for in-depth sessions on what it means to join the planning profession. The room will be set up in stations, and they’ll move round each one in turn before hearing a keynote from a very special planner.

The audiences will come back together for the second part of Financial Planning: Live and the later parts of the day, before it’s time for drinks and the legendary lang cat afterparty.

THE PRACTICALITIES

The date to mark in your calendars is Wednesday 4 February.

Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, tickets are free for advice professionals working in an advice firm; so advisers, planners, paraplanners, compliance and admin fill your boots (if you work for a huge provider with an advice offshoot you only qualify if you’re in an advice-giving or paraplanning role).

We’ve also got specific tickets for those new to the profession, so if you are newly qualified, just starting studying, changing career, a student on a relevant uni or college course these tickets are for you – particularly if you have never attended an industry event before!

Everyone else is asked to buy tickets at a cost of £100 plus VAT.